The Derfflinger was considered to be the best class of battle cruisers up until the end of the First World War, and rightly so. Aesthetically they were also the most handsome. This German battlecruiser was built in the early 1910s during the Anglo-German naval arms race. Design work was begun in October 1910 and continued until October 1912. Derfflinger was the lead ship of her class and had the sisterships Lützow and the near sister Hindenburg. The design represented the birth of a new generation of German Großen Kreuzer. The Derfflinger-class battlecruisers were larger and featured significant improvements over the previous German battlecruisers, carrying larger guns. After the final design of cruiser J there were still outstanding issues for the following design. In April 1910 the General Navy Department was asked to prepare the requirements for the cruiser of 1911. The issues were primarily the number of shafts, machinery and armament. A three shaft arrangement would allow the employment of a diesel engine on the centre shaft. The advantages of this were better thermal efficiency, easier transfer of fuel, saving in personnel and the price. The General Department thought the change to 30.5cm calibre was essential. The weight increase of 8~30.5cm guns over 10~28cm guns was just 36 tonnes and the latest English battleships were fitted with 300mm armour. If the cruisers were expected to fight in the line the increase was mandatory. However, von Tirpitz disagreed and the matter remained unresolved.

The 38M Toldi light tank, contrary to its designation, went into service in 1940. At the time it was the state of art armoured weaponry of the Hungarian Army. Before that time the Army had its WW1 style armoured trains, armoured cars and the tiny Italian FIAT Ansaldo tankettes. The 38M Toldi light tank and its Swedish origin the L-60 were the same class as the German Pz. II, the Polish 7TP, the Soviet T-40 and T-60 light tanks, designated for reconnaissance and liaison role. However, at the beginning of the war it was the only tracked armoured vehicles of the Hungarians to fight the Red Army in 1941.The 38M Toldi light tank was also the first armoured vehicle produced by the Hungarian War Industry during the war.

In the year 1894, Germany built the last small torpedo boat in the 19th century. Then there was an over 20-year hiatus. Only in 1915, due to the emergence of a new theater of military operations, the construction of a series of 25 small A I torpedo boats had begun. Their construction was entrusted to the Vulcan AG shipyard in Hamburg, some of them dismantled and sent by rail to Hoboken shipyard in Antwerp, where they were finally assembled and put into operation for the fleet. The situation that arose in 1914 after the seizure of the Belgian coast by the German army forced the local naval command to send appropriate forces to the new maritime theater. Already at the beginning, it turned out that the specificity of this reservoir (numerous shallows and many mine barriers) almost precludes the use of standard torpedo boats and destroyers. They were simply too big and their draft was too great, which put them in a huge danger of hitting mines. The newly designed Type A I units were to be better adapted to operate off the coast of Flanders. Their full displacement was 137 tons, and the length of the hull was 41.58 m. Driven by a steam engine with a capacity of 1200 HP, it reached the speed of 19–20 knots. The armament consisted of a 50mm or 52mm cannon and two 450mm torpedo tubes.

In mid-1909, Meller's factory made the first aircraft, according to the brothers Wright model of Flyer A. It was constructed by experienced factory engineer Jevgrafov (Н.П. Евграфов). He was already engaged on the project and construction of the Duks airship "Jastreb" (Ястреб), so that he was familiar with all the structural elements of aircraft. The test flights were not performed because the factory couldn't provide the appropriate engine. The aircraft was nevertheless shown at an aviation exhibit at the end of 1909, together with the aircraft of famous manufacturers from Europe. Meller realized on time that Russia could not long fall behind the advanced European countries in the aeronautics development, especially the military one. His plan was that the Duks factory should soon start producing aircraft in larger series, initially under license. The problem was that he should choose the right model of the many that broke records every day in those years. During 1910, Henry Farman "HF III" aircraft became extremely popular in France, despite their structural imperfection. They were made in two versions, for training and for competition. They had a series of record flights and they often won prizes on many aeronautical competitions. They served as models to many constructors even beyond the borders of France. It was this very aircraft that Meller chose for serial production.

Designed and initially produced by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet first flew in 1995. It is used by the United States Navy and theRoyal Australian Air Force. The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat variants are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet is a new aircraft at about 20% larger and 3,200 kg heavier empty weight than the original Hornet. It carries 33% more internal fuel, increasing mission range by 41% and endurance by 50% over the "Legacy" Hornet. To aid safe flight operations and prevent confusion in radio calls, the Super Hornet is informally referred to as the "Rhino" to distinguish it from earlier Hornets. It is designed to be equipped with an aerial refueling system (ARS) or "buddy store" for the refueling of other aircraft.

As the first functional jet engines became available, the RLM published a requirement for a reconnaissance aircraft capable of long-range patrols over Britain, all the way up to Scapa Flow. The task to build the machine was given to Arado, who put Rüdiger Kosin in charge of the design team. The initial E370 project was gradually tweaked and modified until it evolved into its final form as a single-seat aircraft powered by two jet engines in underwing pods, designated Ar 234. In order to maximize the aircraft’s range, Arado’s design team embarked on a radical weight-shedding crusade. Among the components eliminated from the design was the conventional landing gear, which was replaced with a jettisonable three-wheel trolley used for take-offs and retractable skids mounted under the fuselage for landings. These design features were incorporated into the first A series prototypes, powered by Junkers Jumo 004A engines. The B-2 was a bomber version, with a maximum bombload of 1,500 kg and the B-2/N a night fighter version. The C-3 was the multi-purpose version, armed with two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons beneath the nose.

In 1936 the D-513 fighter designed by Emil Dewoitine made its first flight. It was supposed to be the successor of the slightly outdated D-500 and D-510 models, and built according to modern trends: with a closed cabin and a retractable undercarriage. Unfortunately, the tests turned out to be very disappointing. At the same time, as a result of the nationalization of the aviation industry, Dewoitine's industries were absorbed by the SNCAM. Dewoitine, however, did not give up on the project and, in cooperation with his engineers, developed a new model - the D-520.

Horten Ho 229 is the first ever “flying wing” jet. The machine was built at the very end of World War II in the German Gotha factory. Today, the best-known structure of this type is the American strategic bomber Northrop B-2 Spirit, but the two planes are separated by a difference of 44 years of technological development. It was a very unusual structure, not only due to the shape of the airframe, but also the materials it was made of – it was largely plywood and wood, not only duralumin and steel. The plane was powered by two Junkers Jumo 004B jet engines. The Horten Ho 229 was flown in January 1945. It was armed with two powerful 30mm MK 108 cannons, and the performance exceeded all Allied planes at that time. Nevertheless, the Ho 229 was planned to be used as a bomber.

The USS Stevens (DD-479) was one of the 175 Fletcher-class destroyers, and was considered one of the finest world War II warships of that type. What set it apart from most of the standard Fletcher-class destroyers was its aircraft-carrying capability. In May 1940 six of the Fletcher-class destroyers were selected for conversion into aircraft-carrying ships. The upgrades included installation of the Mk VI pneumatic aircraft catapult for embarked OS2U Kingfisher float planes.

Messerschmitt Bf 109T was supposed to operate from German aircraft carrier “Graf Zeppelin”. The plane was equipped with arresting hook and had enlarged wing span up to 11,08 m. It did not have folding wings because “Graf Zeppelin’s” elevators were supposed to be enough big to fit planes with fixed wings. Anyway the wings could be detached for transport. There were versions T-1 and T-2 developed. Fighters served in JG 77 and JG 11 units.

"Singing frigates", "Greyhounds of the Oceans" – each of this names contains a little bit of truth about large anti-submarine warfare ships Project 61. Since their emergence until now they are very popular with both: maritime specialists and shiplovers. It could not be otherwise, because they are exceptionally good looking vessels. They were first Soviet units of the new generation, projected and built separate from foregoing schemes. Their uniqueness was not only based on beautiful architecture, but also on some other assets. First of all they were first ships in the world propelled only by the power of gas turbines.Landmark project

First prototypes of German tank destroyer Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) were built in 1937 and based on PzKpfw III Ausf. B tank. Vehicles were armed with short-barelled 75mm gun. From spring, 1942, StuG IIIs were equipped with StuK 40 75mm gun. Self propelled guns StuG III served in separated assault artillery units, and later in self propelled guns brigades. They were also used in support units of armoured divisions.

The North American P-51 Mustang powered by the British-designed Rolls-Royce Merlin/Packard engine was, quite simply, the best long-range escort fighter of the World War Two era. Entering service in November 1943, it curtailed prohibitive losses suffered by the heavy bombers of the US Eighth Army Air Force which carried out the strategic daylight bombing campaign against the Third Reich.

The Nakajima B5N prototype, designated B5N1 (in Allied reported name: Kate), was flown in January 1937. The first serial aircraft carried the designation Model 98 Model 11. The machines were tested in combat in China. In December 1939, another serial version entered the production marked as B5N2 Model 12. The aircraft was equipped with a Nakajima Sakae engine with a smaller frontal diameter and increased power. This improved plane’s performance. Initially, a hydraulic wing tip folding mechanism was used, but after a short time it was replaced with a manual one, which was more reliable.

The IN COMBAT series is aimed for those who would like to quickly learn about fascinating history of specific vehicle, plane or ship. Every tome consist of most important information about history, versions and service of one combat machine. Book has tens of pages in A4 format and consists of dozens of interesting photos, colour illustrations, technical drawings and maps. In every tome there is a free gift in form of masks or decals for modellers. Minimonographs IN COMBAT are the answer to many requests from our readers who asked us to make such series. Yakovlev Yak-3 is considered one of the best World War 2 fighters, invariably praised by those who flew it in combat for its remarkable performance. The Germans also treated it with respect, which is perhaps best illustrated by Generalleutnant Walter Schwabedissen’s remark: The Yak-3 was a tough nut to crack for our pilots. It outperformed our machines in speed, maneuverability and rate of climb.

M4 Sherman was the most popular American tank of World War II. Between February, 1942, and June, 1945, a total of 49.000 units of all versions were produced. Dozens of variants of M4 tanks were created. They differed in the method of hull production (welded, riveted, casted) as well as turret, main armament and additional equipment. Several special versions were also made (especially for the needs of the Normandy landing in 1944): the floating Sherman DD (Duplex Drive), Sherman Crab (with anti-mine trawl), Sherman Dozer (with bulldozer at the front – for demining and engineering tasks), Sherman Zippo (Sherman with a flamethrower mounted instead of the main gun).